INDIANAPOLIS — The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis, but city leaders are turning their attention to another major sporting event in the future.
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Indy is expressing interest in hosting the NFL Draft as soon as 2030.
“We think the draft should be in Indy, and we’re going to go after it. We’ll work hard to show the NFL why Indy will be a great place for it," President of Indiana Sports Corp Patrick Talty said. “I think because of our downtown footprint, all of the facilities we have, the restaurants and areas where people can gather, it makes all the sense in the world for the draft to be here.”
Indy has been home to the NFL Combine since 1987.
The weeks-long event attracts around 30,000 visitors and generates roughly $9 million every year.
Last month, officials announced the combine will return next year and in 2028.
“Every year, the combine draws economic impact through people staying in hotels, eating in restaurants. Then it allows us the opportunity to have NFL executives here on a regular basis. They know Indianapolis. We get a chance to show off our city," Talty said.
The Circle City has its eyes on what’s next.
Indiana Sports Corp, as well as Visit Indy, the Capitol Improvement Board, and the City would like to place a bid for the NFL draft in the coming years, but at this point, nothing is solidified.
“With the NFL, you get invited to bid on events. We’re hopeful that the NFL will invite us to bid against other cities for the draft in some future year. That’s the hope, that’s what we’ve been talking about. We’re not there, but we’re hopeful we can be," he said.
It’s an idea football fan Dustin Coder supports.
“It’s obviously a big boom economically, a lot of people come out from all over for it. I think the last few years, when they started rotating the draft, where it’s been at, you see a lot more people go to it because it’s more of a spectacle, more of a one-off situation," Coder said.
Cedrick Landers says hosting the draft could push his city into the national spotlight.
“We play hard. We overlooked. We just as good as other states. We’re just a poorer state," Landers said. “We’re unpredictable. They call us Naptown for a reason. Don’t sleep on us.”
This year’s NFL combine will run through March 2.
For a list of all the free events this week, click here.
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Nico Pennisi is the In Your Community reporter for Downtown Indy. He joined WRTV in October 2022. His passion has always been telling the stories of people who often get overlooked. Share your story ideas and important issues with Nico by emailing him at nico.pennisi@wrtv.com.
